B: He did not do things by halves, and so the rundown farm is now a beautiful country estate.

Note: This idiom means to “do something without enthusiasm or not completely.” It’s usually used in the negative forms. Literally it means to “get something halfway done and not to complete the job.” Metaphorically speaking, if someone does things by halves, then they do them half-heartedly. That is, without total devotion, dedication or commitment. In other words, they’re just not serious.